Ever heard your grandmother say when you were little: If you have your heart set in the right place, you can achieve anything you set out to do! That’s what SAS users tried to do at SAS Global Forum 2013 held at Moscone West, San Francisco. The conference had a heart, and it was filled with passionate people who were industrious, intelligent and loved challenges.

SAS users from all over the globe were accustomed to meet-ups and team building at conferences to talk about SAS, software and solutions. But the team that came together this time had a different agenda in mind. A team that believed in giving back to the local community as much as it got from the opportunity to gather in San Francisco to reconnect and learn from each other. The Build-a-Bike charity event was one such moment that brought back childhood memories and the carefree joys of riding a bike.

Attendees scattered into smaller groups armed with wrenches and excitement to assemble bikes for underprivileged children in the San Francisco area. . “I love bicycles, I cycle to work” said one such enthusiastic attendee stating that every time she comes to the conference, she meets new people and learns a lot. They built 50 bikes for young boys and girls in an hour. The mood was upbeat and it gave everyone involved a rare opportunity to connect outside of work, re-live their childhood and, most importantly, bring big smiles on the faces of some very lucky children. Many thanks to the participants for making this a memorable event and certainly one of the highlights from the conference.

What was your memorable moment from the conference and how would you like to give back to the community? Please share.